Statement by Ramona Africa, 1988, on the Final Report of the Philadelphia County Special Investigating Grand Jury
ONA MOVE!
ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUSLY PREJUDICED ASPECTS OF THE MAY 13 CONFRONTATION IS THE FACT THAT I WAS ARRESTED IMMEDIATELY, NO QUESTIONS ASKED, NO INVESTIGATION, NO NOTHIN, AND THIS CAN NOT BE CASUALLY EXPLAINED AWAY BY SAYIN THE POLICE HAD A WARRANT FOR ME BECAUSE I WAS CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS STEMMIN FROM THE EVENTS OF MAY 13, NOT JUST CHARGES LISTED IN THE WARRANT POLICE CLAIM THEY CAME TO ARREST ME ON. ON THE OTHER HAND, NOT ONE SINGLE OFFICIAL HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR MURDERIN MY FAMILY. IF I CAN BE ARRESTED WITHOUT AN INVESTIGATION WHY CAN’T OFFICIALS. WHAT REALLY MAKES US SO BITTER IS THAT NINE INNOCENT MOVE PEOPLE ARE IN PRISON FOR 100 YEARS EACH FOR A MURDER THAT NOBODY SAW EM COMMITT, A MURDER THAT NOBODY CAN PROVE THEY COMMITTED, CAUSE THEY DID NOT COMMITT IT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE WHOLE WORLD SAW SYSTEM OFFICIALS DROP THAT BOMB ON US, KILLING ELEVEN INNOCENT MOVE PEOPLE AND THESE QFFICIALS IS STILL WALKIN THE STREET STILL EMPLOYED BY THIS SYSTEM, AND STILL BEIN PAYED WITH TAX DOLLARS TO KEEP ON MURDERIN MONEY-POOR, UNOFFICIAL POOR FOLKS. ON TOP OF THIS CRIMINAL ARROGANCE THESE OFFICIALS HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY THAT MOVE THINK WE ARE “ABOVE THE LAW” BUT IT’S THESE OFFICIAL GANGSTERS WHO IMPOSE LEGALITY ON POOR FOLKS, THEN IGNORE IT, ARROGANTLY THUMB THEIR NOSE AT LEGALITY WHEN THEY ARE INDICTED BY IT. THESE POLITICAL THUGS AIN’T GOT NO JUSTIFICATION FOR LOCKIN UP NOBODY FOR MURDER LIKE THEY’RE AGAINST MURDER, LIKE THEY’RE OFFENDED BY MURDER, WHEN THEIR HANDS ARE DRENCHED WITH MOVE PEOPLE’S BLOOD. EVERY POOR PERSON IN PRISON FOR MURDER SHOULD BE OUTRAGED, SHOULD BE SCREAMIN AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS ABOUT BEIN IN PRISON FOR MURDER WHILE OFFICIALS THAT PUT THEM IN PRISON FOR MURDER HAVE THEMSELVES COMMITTED MASS MURDER. WITNESSED BY THE WHOLE WORLD, AND ARE WALKING THE STREETS LIKE THEY AIN’T DONE NOTHIN, TELLIN POOR FOLKS, “AIN’T NOBODY ABOVE THE LAW, EVERYBODY IS SUBJECT TO THE LAW”, AND LOCKIN POOR FOLKS UP DAILY BASED ON THIS FRAUD. ON MAY 13, POLICE COMMISSIONER SAMBOR CAME OUT TO OUR HOUSE TALKIN ABOUT, “ATTENTION MOVE, THIS IS AMERICA,” AND FOLLOWED THAT COMMENT UP WITH SOME RHETORIC ABOUT HOW WE HAVE TO ACCEPT AND OBEY THE LAWS OF AMERICA. SAMBOR IS SO FULL OF HATE AND PREJUDICE THAT HE COULDN’T REALIZE WHAT HE WAS SAYIN, BECAUSE WHILE HE WAS TALKIN ABOUT, “THIS IS AMERICA,” HE DIDN’T REALIZE THAI ACCORDIN TO HIS BELIEF, AMERICA WAS DEVELOPED BY REBELS, RESISTERS, THAT REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE LEGAL LAVS OF THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY INTERPRETED THOSE LAWS AS OPPRESSIVE, UNJUST, WRONG. THOSE RESISTERS WENT TO WAR WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND SHOT DOWN A WHOLE LOT OF POLICE CALLED “REDCOATS” (ENGLISH SOLDIERS), BUT SAMBOR—AND MANY OTHERS—CELEBRATE THOSE REBELS AS HEROS, FREEDOM FIGHTERS WHILE CONDEMIN MOVE AS TERRORIST, CRIMINALS. WHAT MAKES GEORGE WASHINGTON A HERO FOR RESISTIN LEGAL INJUSTICE AND MOVE PEOPLE CRIMINALS FOR RESISTIN LEGAL INJUSTICE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SAMBOR LIVED IN 1775 AS A POLICEMAN, AN ENGLISH SOLDIER, AND HE APPROACHED NATHAN HALE OR PATRICK HENRY’S HOUSE LIKE HE DID OUR HOUSE, TATKIN ABOUT, “ATTENTION PATRICK, THIS IS AN ENGLISH COLONY, YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT AND OBEY THE LAWS OF ENGLAND,” SAMBOR WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A BULLET IN HIS HEAD, QUICK, AND THE REBEL THAT PUT THE BULLET IN HIS WORTHLESS HEAD WOULD BE CELEBRATED TODAY AS AN AMERICAN HERO. THIS IS THE PROFOUND WISDOM OF MOVE’S LOVED FOUNDER, JOHN AFRICA THE COORDINATOR. LONG LIVE THE COORDINATOR JOHN AFRICA!!! THESE OFFTCTAL HOODLUMS ARE THE MASTERS OF DECEPTION AND JUDGE STILES IS A CRYSTALLIZED EXAMPLE OF THIS. ON APRIL 14, 1986 I WAS FORMALLY SENTENCED, I SAY FORMALLY SENTENCED BECAUSE THAT’S ALL IT WAS, A FORMALITY. JOHN AFRICA HAS EQUIPPED ME WITH THE UNDERSTANDIN TO SEE THAT I WAS TRIED, CONVICTED, AND SENTENCED (TO DIE) ON MAY 13. NOTHIN JUDGE STTLES COULD IMPOSE ON ME COULD COMPARE TO WHAT WAS IMPOSED ON ME MAY 13. SOME PEOPLE HALLUCINATED THAT JUDGE STILES IS FAIR BECAUSE OF HIS DECEPTIVE MANNER BUT THANKS TO JOHN AFRICA, I WAS NOT FOOLED ONE BIT BY STILES, HIS POSITION WAS CLEAR TO ME FROM THE VERY BEGINNIN—LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA THE COORDINATOR! I KNEW THAT STILES COULD HAVE, WAS LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DISMISS ALL THE CHARGES AGAINST ME DURING THE PRETRIAL PERIOD WHEN STILES ONLY DISMISSED THE CHARGES LISTED IN THE WARRANT THE POLICE CLAIMED TO HAVE COME OUT TO ARREST ME ON—WHICH MEANS THE POLICE HAD NO REASON TO BE ARRESTIN ME IN THE FIRST PLACE, ACCORDING TO STILES RULIN. THE POINT BEING MADE IS THAT ALL THE CHARGES AGAINST ME WERE INVALID AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED, NOT JUST THE CHARGES LISTED IN THE INITIAL WARRANT, AND IF STILES IS FAIR INSTEAD OF POLITICAL, HE WOULD HAVE DISMISSED ALL THE CHARGES. JUDGE STILES HAD PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO DISMISS THOSE OUTRAGEOUS CHARGES, NOT AS A FAVOR TO ME, NOT TO APPEASE ANYBODY AND NOT AS A MORAL OBLIGATION, BUT AS HIS LEGAL OBLIGATION, HOWEVER STILES DIDN’T DISMISS ALL THE CHARGES, HE REFUSED TO DO IT, BECAUSE HE AIN’T RITE, HE AIN’T FAIR, HE’S POLITICAL. JUDGE STILES AND ALL THOSE THAT WANT TO PROTECT HIM AND CONTINUE BELIEVIN IN THIS FIITHY SYSTEM MITE TRY TO ARGUE THAT I AM IN PRISON BECAUSE THE JURY CONVICTED ME OF TWO CHARGES AND NOT BECAUSE OF STILES BUT THAT’S A LTE. DISPITE THE JURY’S VERDICT JUDGE STILES DID NOT HAVE TO KEEP ME IN PRISON, HE COULD HAVE GIVEN ME TIME SERVED OR A SUSPENDED SENTENCE. IN FACT IF JUDGE STILES IS FAIR THE CASE NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO THE JURY DELIBERATION, BECAUSE STILES COULD HAVE DISMISSED THOSE CHARGES AT THE PRE-TRIAL STAGE, AT THE DEMURER STAGE WHEN THE PROSECUTOR FINISHED PRESENTIN HIS CASE, AT THE END OF MY DEFENSE OR JUDGE STILES COULD HAVE ACQUITTED ME HISSELF BY DIRECTED VERDICT WITHOUT THE JURY HAVIN TO DELIBERATE AT ALL AS JUDGE STANLEY KUBACKI DID IN THE CASE OF THE 3 COPS WHO TRIED TO BEAT MY BROTHER DELBERT AFRICA TO DEATH ON AUGUST 8, 1978. EVEN AFTER I WAS UNJUSTLY CONVICTED OF RIOT AND CONSPIRACY TO RIOT JUDGE STILES COULD HAVE OVERTURNED THE CONVICTIONS BY WHAT’S CALLED AN “ARREST OF JUDGEMENT,” BUT STILES DIDN’T DO ANY OF THIS BECAUSE HE HAD NO INTENTION OF BEIN RITE, BEIN FAIR. THE ONLY THING JUDGE STILES INTENDED TO DO WAS KEEP ME IN PRISON, AND THIS IS CLEAR BY THE DRAMATICALLY HIGH BAIL HE KEPT ON ME AND PARTICULARLY BY THE SENTENCE HE IMPOSED. STILES SENTENCED ME TO 16 MOS.-7 YRS. AS A DECEPTIVE MANEUVER TO BOTH PACIFY THOSE THAT ARE OUTRAGED ABOUT THE BLATENT MURDER OF MOVE PEOPLE AND DEMANDING MY RELEASE AS WELL AS OFFICIALS THAT WANT ME IN PRISON BECAUSE OF POLITICS. PRIOR TO MY FORMAL SENTENCIN, THE NEWS MEDIA REPEATEDLY ADVERTISED MY POSSIBLE SENTENCE AS UP TO 7-14 YRS., EVEN THO’ I WAS REALLY FACING 3 1/2-7 YEARS BECAUSE LEGALLY I COULD ONLY BE SENTENCED ON THE RIOT CHARGE SINCE THE LEGAL DEFINTTION OF RIOT INCLUDES THE CONCEPT OF CONSPIRACY, THE CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY TO RIOT MERGED WITH THE RIOT CHARGE. THE POINT IS THAT SINCE THE MEDIA MADE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT I WAS FACIN MORE TIME THAN I REALLY WAS, PEOPLE INTERPRETED THE 16 MOS TO 7 YRS. AS A “LITE SENTENCE” ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD 11 MOS. ALREADY SERVED BY THE TIME I WAS SENTENCED, ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WERE DELIBERATELY GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT I WOULD BE HOME IN A FEW MONTHS. IT’S A VERY OLD CON GAME THAT THIS SYSTEM WORKED THRU THE MEDIA, PEOPLE WILL THINK THEY GOT A “BARGAIN” BY PAYIN “ONLY” $5.00 FOR SOMETHIN THAT WAS ADVERTISED AS SELLIN FOR $10.00 JUST BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THE OBJECT TO BE SELLIN FOR MORE THAN THEY PAID FOR IT BUT WHEN THEY REALIZE THE OBJECT THEY BELIEVED WAS WORTH $10.00 AND PAID $5.00 FOR AIN’T EVEN WORTH ONE DOLLAR, THEN PEOPLE KNOW THEY DIDN’T GOT NO BARGAIN, THEY GOT RIPPED OFF. I KNOW I’M COMPLETELY INNOCENT, I KNOW I DON’T BELONG IN PRISON AT ALL, SO I KNOW I’M NOT GETTIN NO BARGAIN. NO “LITE” SENTENCE—THANKS ONLY TO THE WISDOM OF THE COORDINATOR I’M NOT FALLIN VICTIM TO THAT DEVIOUS CON GAME BEIN RUN BY THE PROFESSIONAL CON ARTISTS IN CITY HALL, HARRISBURG, THE WHITE HOUSE—LONG LIVE THE COORDINATOR! PEOPLE ARE DIVERTED, BY THAT 16 MONTH MINIMUM SENTENCE, AND THEY’RE IGNORIN THAT 7 YEARS MAXIMUM THAT FOLLOWS IT—IT’S NOT THERE FOR NOTHIN. COMPLETIN A MINIMUM SENTENCE DOES NOT GUARANTEE PAROLE THAT’S WHY YOU HAVE A MAXIMUM SENTENCE. MINIMUM SENTENCES DON’T MEAN A THING, ESPECIALLY WITH MOVE PEOPLE, THAT THEM POLITICIANS DON’T WANT ALIVE, NOT TO MENTION ON THE STREET. MY SISTER, SUE AFRICA, WAS SENTENCED TO 6-12 YRS. AND SHE’S BEEN IN PRISON A TOTAL OF 7 YEARS. MY SISTER ALBERTA AFRICA WAS SENTENCED TO 22 MOS.-7 YRS. AND SHE’S BEEN IN PRISON 6 1/2 YEARS ALREADY, SO OBVIOUSLY MINIMUM SENTENCES DON’T MEAN ANYTHIN WHEN IT COMES TO MOVE. WHEN THIS SYSTEM’S OFFICIALS COME AT MOVE PEOPLE WITH PRISON SENTENCES OR ANYTHING ELSE THEY ARE THINKIN OF ONE THING, STOPPIN THE MOVE ORGANIZATION, STOPPIN JOHN AFRICA, BUT THEY WILL NEVER STOP JOHN AFRICA.